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Open-Faced

November 02, 2025

By Rafael Musa • 117 Clues

Across Clues

1. Cause a mess, as with frying oil → SPLATTER

9. Create an intricate series of lies, say → SPINAWEB

17. Offerings to prospective bicycle buyers → TESTRIDES

19. "Ben-Hur" or "Lawrence of Arabia" → EPICDRAMA

20. Or more → ATAMINIMUM

22. Like many public housing projects → STATEAIDED

23. Comprehends → GETS

24. Way to manipulate public opinion through fear → SCARETACTIC

26. "The ___ is done" → DEED

27. Some ambulance destinations, for short → ERS

28. Ceramicists' devices → POTTERYWHEELS

30. Hog heaven? → STY

31. Wrong idea → FALSEIMPRESSION

33. Word with bean or lemon → CURD

34. ___ Jones, author of "How We Fight for Our Lives" → SAEED

35. Tick off → MIFF

37. Pieces of art? → MOSAICS

40. Allude (to) → NOD

41. Winter Olympics event → BOBSLED

44. Agreements where one party takes some heat? → ARMSDEALS

46. Old-time theater item → MOVIEREEL

48. They point toward Mecca while salah is performed → PRAYERMATS

50. Evergreen pointer → PINENEEDLE

51. Sharpen → HONE

52. Natural process of maturing → SUNRIPENING

54. Airplane wing feature → FLAP

55. Girder whose name assumes a serif font → IBEAM

57. Paleolithic-era tools → STONEAXES

58. Have spiritual unity (with) → BEONE

59. Falsify → DOCTOR

61. ___ syndrome (allergic reaction to some bug bites) → SKEETER

62. Actress and model Ali ___ → LARTER

63. Like some pricing strategies → TIERED

65. Annual awards whose name is an acronym → ESPYS

66. Affectedly clever → CUTESY

67. Allude (to) → REFER

69. Southwest landform → BUTTE

70. Smokey Bear spot, e.g., for short → PSA

73. Area with the highest percentage of homes valued at $1 million or more → SILICONVALLEY

79. [ha ha!] → LOL

82. Reddish-brown color → RUST

84. Ones skilled in governance → TECHNOCRATS

85. Gram → NANA

86. Return analogue → ENTER

88. "You're one to talk!" → THATSRICH

89. Mumbo jumbo → HOOEY

90. Instrument for which Beethoven and Mozart composed → FORTEPIANO

92. Drink order at a sushi restaurant → SAKEBOTTLE

94. What might have green rooms? → ECORESORT

95. Unlikely sportsmanship award winner → SORELOSER

96. ___ Lupton, author of the 2010 best seller "Sister" → ROSAMUND

97. Quarter-barrel containers of beer → PONYKEGS

Down Clues

1. Talking ___ (early dating period, in modern lingo) → STAGE

2. Fizzle (out) → PETER

3. Exams whose analytical reasoning sections were removed in 2024 → LSATS

4. PINpoints? → ATMS

5. Lead-in to state or Star → TRI

6. Typically red-coated toy figurines → TINSOLDIERS

7. Official proclamations → EDICTS

8. Try to produce better offspring from → REMATE

9. Bursts → SPATES

10. Feels for → PITIES

11. Sport with crampons and carabiners → ICECLIMBING

12. Document that promises secrecy, for short → NDA

13. Like the climate in Antarctica → ARID

14. Does the Narrows hike at Zion National Park, say → WADES

15. Become acquainted over Zoom, e.g. → EMEET

16. Villain → BADDY

18. "No doubt about it!" → SUREIS

19. Inscribed → ETCHED

21. Mythical creature with scales → MERMAN

22. Lost one's temper → SAWRED

25. Like some donations that anyone can accept → TYPEO

28. Pride celebration → PARADE

29. "That much is obvious" → SOISEE

31. Child who refuses to put things away? → FUSSYEATER

32. Flag thrower → NFLREFEREE

33. Olympic gymnast Nadia who was the first to receive a perfect 10 score → COMANECI

36. Livestock facilities regulated by the E.P.A. → FEEDLOTS

37. TV series starring Rami Malek as a hacktivist → MRROBOT

38. Absurdist philosopher born in Algeria → CAMUS

39. Perspectives → SLANTS

41. More difficult to eat, as fish → BONIER

42. Tandoors, e.g. → OVENS

43. Lucy ___, African American slave narrator → DELANEY

44. Garden pest → APHID

45. Butterfly, e.g. → STROKE

46. Cheeky flirts → MINXES

47. Sufferer healed by Jesus → LEPER

49. Unit circle ratios → SINES

50. Like some soils high in organic matter → PEATY

53. Small protestation → PEEP

56. Sociologist's concern → MORES

58. Eccentric → BATTY

60. Update the equipment in → REFIT

62. Musical instruments that become other musical instruments when an F is added to the front → LUTES

64. Erasure → DELETION

66. Person idolized by a niche audience → CULTHERO

68. Physics Nobelist Feynman → RICHARD

69. Covert mission, familiarly → BLACKOP

70. Be partial to → PREFER

71. Shell competitor → SUNOCO

72. Daikin Park team → ASTROS

74. Gregorian ___ → CHANT

75. Aware of → ONTO

76. We, in Portuguese → NOS

77. Bygone devices whose tapes had to be rewound → VCRS

78. Teatro alla Scala solos → ARIAS

79. Ancient philosopher whose name means "old master" → LAOTSE

80. Support for the tree pose in yoga → ONELEG

81. Strategy against fickle weather → LAYERS

83. One more than 5-Down → TETRA

85. Unacceptable → NOTOK

87. ___ Kassis, author of "The Arabesque Table" → REEM

89. Hallowed → HOLY

91. Nittany Lions' sch. → PSU

93. Big ___ → BEN